Multi-material 3D design & printing

Context

3D printing is my ground for rapid prototyping, between mechanical design and manufacturing. I model in Autodesk Inventor and print in FDM, for my own projects or for private individuals. It is not a commercial activity. I use it to learn.

What I did

• A portable battery-powered winch, with a gearmotor and worm screws to multiply the torque.
• An articulated gear-driven arm, built from a free model to study backlash.
• Illumine (ongoing), lampshades printed in vase mode.
• Replacement automotive parts, in the material suited to their use.

What I noticed and learned

• The material depends on the function. PLA is for prototyping, PETG for strength, TPU for flexibility.
• A well-designed reduction is enough to lift real loads, even in plastic.

My mistakes

• Apart from the winch load, I have not validated these parts with quantified tests.

Results

• A winch that lifts about 40 kg in its printed version.
• I can take a project from idea to object, from modelling to validation.
• I made progress in design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) and in tolerances.

Tech stack